Paul Leslie Tilden Jr., 83, of Lancaster, California passed away peacefully on Friday, December 20th, 2019 due to complications with Dementia which he had struggled with for a number of years. Paul was born on July 24th, 1936 in Des Moines, Iowa to Paul Leslie Tilden Sr. and Myrta Arnold. Paul, his parents, and his sister Suzanne left Iowa in 1945 and moved west to Tucson, Arizona. Paul went to Amphitheater High School in Tucson and graduated with the Class of 1954. He was drafted into the United States Army and served four years with the Army Corps of Engineers including service in Korea during the post-Korean War period of extreme tension between the United States, the Soviet Union, & the People's Republic of China. After his service to his country, Paul attended the University of Arizona where he graduated at the top of his class with a Bachelor's Degree in Business. Paul moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960's and worked odd jobs until he was hired by Walt Disney Studios in Burbank in 1965 where he would work for the next thirty six years as a Projectionist and in sound production for countless movies. His name even appears in the credits for Red Headed Stranger with Willie Nelson. As part of Paul's work, he traveled to many movie sets throughout California. Additionally, Paul was requested by name to show movies in the homes of stars such as Bob Hope, Dean Martin, and others who counted on him and admired his steadfast work ethic and meticulous attention to detail. He also worked closely with Walt Disney himself on many projects prior to Walt's passing. Paul retired in 2001 and pursued his passion of road tripping in his RV with his wife Lynn. Paul's loves included traveling the open road and exploring national parks and museums, enjoying his favorite restaurants, and animals. Paul is survived by his wife Lynn Crane of Lancaster, California, his older son Mike Tilden of Vacaville, California, his younger son Ryan Tilden of Lancaster, California, and his sister Suzanne Tilden-Mortimer of Tucson, Arizona. Paul's visitation and viewing will be from 1:30pm to 2:30pm on Sunday, December 29th, 2019 and his funeral will be at 3:00pm on Monday, December 30th 2019 at Forest Lawn Memorial Park - Hollywood Hills 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90068. In lieu of flowers, please offer a donation to a Veteran or animal charity of your choice. Any questions about Paul or in regard to his services or donations can be directed to his oldest son, Mike at 707-880-5784, call or text anytime is fine, or e-mail at miketilden1986@yahoo.com
